Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine

Auto-Ordnance has a new “Tactical Folding Stock Model” M1 Carbine out later this year.

Black polymer folding stock, metal handguard

The Auto-Ordnance M1 .30 Caliber carbine is produced in Kahr’s state-of-the-art manufacturing plant in Worcester, MA. The Auto-Ordnance carbines are produced using newly manufactured parts on high precision computerized machinery.

Markings include the following: Auto-Ordnance, Worcester, MA behind the rear sight; U.S. Carbine, Cal. 30 ML on the receiver in front of the bolt and the serial number is engraved on the left side of the receiver.

I have had the opportunity to examine some of these Auto-Ord carbines and the machining and fit and finish look good, but I have to wonder who will buy them. MSRP is far more than the “street” price but the dealers still want $650 to $700 for them at funshows. I must say that I can understand why a collector would pay that kind of money to get into a cherry Rock-Ola or IBM or Winchester, but who would pay this much for a new-production Carbine with zero collector interest, which won’t hold its value?

They cost twice what they should. I built my last AR for less than that. I found an unfired Cav Arms complete lower assembly on the Equipment Exchange at Arfcom for $180, a complete A2 upper cobbled together of assorted no-name parts with a chrome-lined surplus barrel for $250, and a RRA bolt carrier group plus charging handle for $125. That’s $555 for a working AR that is more accurate than I can hold, which has had zero malfunctions in several hundred rounds of ammo so far. Once collector interest and aesthetic considerations of wood vs. plastic go are considered, and we look at actual utility, it seems to me that there isn’t going to be much market for the new Carbine at that price. It is overpriced by at least $200 even to compete with the Mini-14. So I have to wonder just what it is they’re thinking at Auto-Ord these days.

Wild Bill

I just purchased the Auto-Ordnance M1 Carbine (AOM130) at a local gunshow for $708.00 including tax. Yep, that’s right the good old wood stock model of traditional WWII, Korea, and early Vietnam vintage. I am pleased with the price as well as the look and feel of the weapon. I think the folding stock on the AOM160 will probably interfere with firing and reloading operations. Furthermore, the FFL dealer’s price was $650.00, which is virtually $160.00 off the posted price for this model on the Kahr Arms/Auto-Ornance website. You WILL NOT find any of the original production M1 Carbines for this price at gunshows. Most FFL types are purchasing their antique/collector M1 Carbines from CMP and hiking the price by at least $250-300.00. If anybody does not believe me, then check out the ODCMP website. CMP is currently offering vintage M1 Carbines received from Italy in at best their “Service Grade” but most weapons are of the lower “Rack Grade” category. Therefore, those folks who want a good shooter for an equitable price should highly consider purchasing the Kahr Arms/Auto-Ordnance reproduction M1 Carbine.

You guys that lament about the “high prices” of newly manufactured firearms seem to forget that firearms manufactures are in a “business” and not a charity. The price that Kahr is charging for this tactical M1 carbine seems reasonable. Ruger charges similar prices for its line of Mini rifles in .223 and 7.62 x 39. People grumble about how they can buy an OLD M1 carbine at lower prices. But, with the Kahr version of the M1, is that a person is paying for a “newly manufactured” M1 carbine that is made with NEW PARTS and comes with a WARRANTY. Sure, go ahead and save some dollars with buying a 60 year old firearm, with the unknown factor how worn the working parts are, and with no warranty, either.

lane crawley

There is no reason for these rifles to be so expensive.

You should be able to buy any M-1 carbine rifle for 400.00 or less new!!!!!!!!

Dave S.

OK, Lane, I’ll bite – how much does it cost to make an M1 Carbine, and what is the acceptable profit margin on that cost?

Anchor Banger

I purchased the Model 130 on the Net.

I paid just over $700.

After I got it home from the dealer, I noticed after closer inspection that the lower stock near the barrel clip was gouged, and it appeared that whoever was milling the stock that day just slapped some stain on the gouge (looks like a long scratches) and packed it off to be sold.

I figured I’d clean it up, oil it a little and see what this rifle was famous for at the local range before I went and made any decisions.

The magazine supplied jammed after the 2nd round. Every other round didnt feed. So, I changed magazines (I bought a 5, 10 & 15 made by other manufacturers as well) from the one 15 round that came with it. I changed ammo….three times. Jammed or didnt feed. This gun is JUNK and IS overpriced.

I’ve come across old rusty beat to hell AK’s that were in the desert for 10 years that shot better and didnt jam (before putting a charge of c-4 on the pile of them or a WPete) and I’m a little skeptical as to the “quality” that Kahr claims they put into their products.

JMHO…..

Retired Navy Senior Chief EOD

cris

i only want the folding stock to replace my old one paratrooper stock of my m1a1 carbine pls. help me how can i buy that kind of stock here in manila, philippines, and how much it will cost…

Julio

I picked up the AO130 by Auto Ordinance at a local gun show. I paid $670 for it. I’ve wanted an M1 Carbine for a long time, but I’ve been very hesitant to plunk down that much cash on a used one (about the same or more expensive than the AO now) for a weapon that I don’t know how much life it has left in it and has a lot of years and road miles.

Some of the examples I’ve seen around town or at shows were just in horrid condition and I’d be hesitant to put rounds down the barrels of some.

We (my son, 13, and I) shot the Auto Ordinance M1 at the range last weekend for the first time. We had some FTF with about the first 3 magazines. After that we didn’t experience any problems with the Remington 110 gr. rounds. You have to load the magazines properly and it seems a more rigid firing stance helps cycle the bolt better. (Avoid mushy shoulders absorbing and offsetting the recoil.)

The supplied magazine will not leave the bolt open on the last round but the WWII US surplus magazines do.

We bought it to have as a fun shooter. Overall, the nostalgia value of the gun is great and I think once the gun is broken in and loosened up a bit it will do just fine. We only put about 200 rounds down range last weekend and we’ll probably do another 200 this coming week. That Remington ammo is DIRTY! Lots of heavy duty cleaning required after shooting.

We’re still on the hunt for more magazines, especially reliable 15 or 30 rounders.

Kahr also don’t include a reproduction sling or oiler with the rifle. (Silly as that’s just a $10-15 retail item and they sell them on their web site.) Also, they only give you one magazine. I’d pay the extra $30 retail, but give me the sling, oiler and two magazines please. Don’t nickel and dime me…but I went to CTD for the sling and oiler.

One thing I noted is that the stock has a funny, “sweaty body odor” smell to it when I got it home. I want that to wear off. I’ve not had that on any other wooden stock I’ve ever received.

So far, overall, I’m very pleased with the rifle. Of course, this isn’t the first or only rifle we use or own so I wouldn’t suggest that this be the first or only rifle you own either, for any one of a variety of reasons.

It’d make a good coyote gun if you live in that part of the Nation. 30 Carbine ammo isn’t as cheap as it once was, so that’s a consideration for some, especially given the rise in cost of .223 these days so that’s something to keep in mind…especially right now. It’s getting expensive to keep a number of different caliber firearms “well fed” and “well stocked”…not to mention ammunition is in pretty short supply everywhere these days.

(Update) Another few hundred rounds through the AO130 carbine and all seems to be going well. The rifle is a good shooter. No real FTF or jam problems with the Remington 110 FMJ ammunition. It seems to be getting broken in quite nicely. I want to experiment with other ammunition as some becomes available. Ammunition seems to be in short supply everywhere (no surprise).

As alluded to earlier, at closer ranges, this firearm would serve you well for most intended purposes. You can get great groupings from this firearm in a standing position. Sights are quickly and easily acquired (aperture rear and “fin” post at front. I find that if you can easily get a sight picture on an AR-15 / M4 style sight profile you can do so with the Auto Ordinance sight profile / adapt to it quickly as well. I feel the rifle will make a good shooter to about 100 yards. (We don’t have many civilian rifle ranges here in S. Florida beyond 100 yards, unfortunately…so it’s difficult for me to give any info beyond that distance as to accuracy).

I’ll let others debate the ballistics of the rifle. The more I shoot this rifle, the more I like it. That’s enough for me to be satisfied with the addition of this rifle to my safe.

Right now, my steadfast rule for firearm acquisition is to duplicate calibers, NATO preferably, and useable supplies wherever possible and this is the only firearm I have that breaks that rule to some degree.

Magazines that are decent condition-wise, new and /or reliable seem to be in short supply. I’ve ordered a few different types and capacities of magazines from a few difference sources and I’ll post my results and comments on those as soon as we can get some more range time in.

AO recently “upped” the price of their magazines (15 rnd) on their site to about $40 per copy. Personally, that’s insane, when Bushmaster 30 round or 20 round magazines are $20 per copy for AR-15 / M4 rifles. Pick your poison as far as where to place your money if you have both types of rifles.

Another issue of concern is replacement parts. I’ve read in places that the AO M1 Carbines are mil-spec and I’ve read in other places that they aren’t. From my experience, it seems some things might function and some might not. This means that until something breaks on this firearm, it would serve you just fine as a SHTF type of rifle…at which time it’s likely to be a nice club because parts will be tough to come by unless you’re a competent gunsmith and machinist or know one. On the flip side, it seems that the rifle is well built and fairly solid. Time will tell.

There are still plenty of service rifles floating around that are rebuilt, parts bastardized, etc, but they are still punching lead down-range and they are reliable shooters. It would certainly have helped Kahr to make these to mil-spec so that any and all parts aftermarket wise would work with their rifles. –warranty voided of course–but still would have provided a much wider appeal and longer life to this product IMHO.

I recently bought an auto-ordnance m1 .30 paying $743 for it. I realize now that was way, way to much money! New ten and fifteen shot mags came with the gun. The ten shot mag jammed every shot and the fifteen jammed every two shots. When pulling the slide back if you didn’t hold your month just right it would completly detach form the bolt. That was bad enough, but the real headaches began when I tried to contact Auto-Ordnance. They have no toll free phone number to use. That in it self is not a big problem but when you call over and over and all you get are recordings and continual waiting for a live person and never get one. it gets damned aggravating. I left my number several times and NO ONE called me back!
I tried their E-mail and that didn’t work. I finally sent a FAX and that did
result in call back but it was a day or two latter. The end result of that talk was FED-EX would pick-up the gun the following morning 1/29/09. FED did come to pick-up the gun but had no address to where the gun was supposed to go. That was finally solved. Auto-Ordnance still has the gun 2/9/09. Sig arms replaced a gun for me with and upgrade in two days.

Julio

Tom, keep us updated as to when you get the rifle back and what happened.

I’m really surprised at the report. Did you try to take the rifle apart and see what or where the problem might be?

I don’t understand about the statement about the slide back…and holding just right what would detach from the bolt?

The bolt “sits” into the groove on the charging handle.

I’d be curious as to what they say.

Good luck and definitely post the results.

Thanks!

Julio

John Farnham seemed to indicate that they were performing pretty well and that people were bringing them in for their urban pistol and rifle tacical training courses.

He’s mentioned them a few times in his quips and lessons learned section of his web site.

“02 Feb 09

In 2009, we’re conducting a record number of Urban Rifle Courses, spread out across the Country. Students typically bring AR-15s, RA/XCRs, DSA/FALs, Kahr M1 Carbines, SA/M1As, Ruger/Mini-14s, and various other military rifles…”

Pete

I purchased an AOM130 last August. I too had some FTF problems at the beginning. I never had any problem getting support from them via email. I inquired as to the FTF failure rate that is acceptable for this gun, (knowing that the M1 Carbine has always been finicky even in WWII), and they said 0 failure rate is the goal. It may be the goal, but it’s a mechanical device with lots of things that have to be right. I think the 2 biggest problems are bad magazines and low velocity ammo. Is it a true statement that these guns work better after many rounds have been run through them? If so, how the heck did the soldiers survive in WWII, Korea, etc. with new guns that hadn’t been shot enough? My Bushmaster XM15E2s has never, ever had a problem. NEVER. So why would one gun require an extensive break-in and another doesn’t? Any ideas?

Bill

I just purchased a new AOM130 and shot it today for the first time. I was very disappointed in it’s performance as it jammed at least 30% of the time. I was using the supplied 15rd mag and two other 20rd mags. All jammed equally. I disassembled the mags and “stretched” the springs but that didn’t make any difference in improving it from jamming. Note that I had an older Iver-Johnson M-1 that shot flawless. (It was stolen unfortunately). The AOM is a fine looking gun and is accurate but hopefully Kahr will offer the fix the jamming when I contact them.

Pete

Bill,
Auto-Ordnance has a 1 year warranty. Contact them. I found that the new magazines don’t work very well, especially Pro-Mag. Get surplus mags if you can. But, still, they need to make that gun work flawlessly if they provided the magazines.

Julio

I ordered a couple of Carbine mags from CTD (Made in Korea) I’ll have to let you know how those work out. I’ve been reluctant to shoot any more with it as ammunition is in short supply just about everywhere. I’ve not been able to get any 30 carbine ammo for about over a month now at least.

I, too, have rarely ever had a FTF or jam with my Bushmaster .223 Carbines, so I was concerned at first, but the gun loosens up.

After you have about 400-500 rounds through it, let us know how it’s working out. If you are super concerned, send it in to Kahr and have them look at it.

Bill

Thanks Pete and Julio . . . Bill back again about the jamming on my new AO carbine. . . I spent some time examining the gun after a good cleaning and found a couple things that might be a fix . . ..
1- Something I should had caught earlier . . it was very “dry”, not lubricated . dumb me.
2 – The mags appeared to be very “loose” in the receiver and tipped forward each time that a bullet was racked in causing the jams. I decided to add a thin shim by epoxing a piece of sheet aluminum to the top front part of the mag. I beveled the edges of the aluminum shim and then polished it with my Dremel tool. I hand racked several rounds and there were no jams.

I’ll find out for sure if that fixed it this weekend . . hopefully between some lubrication and the mag modifications, that’ll take care of the jamming. I’ll post another follow-up.

If anyone wants to see a photo of the mag modification, let me know and I’ll see if I post it via the blog author.

Bill, feel free to email me any photos and I will post them on the blog.

Pete

Julio,
You hit the nail on the head with the ammo problem. I hit every WalMart in my city and surrounding towns and came up with 3 boxes of .30 carbine, the Remington UMC. I think I got the last of it in the entire world. None of the local gun shops, websites, etc. has any. I actually called Remington Ammunition in Lonoke, Arkansas yesterday and talked to one of their customer relations people. I asked what is going on with .30 carbine ammo. He said they are staffed 24/7 and cranking at full capacity and can’t keep up becuase, after the election, people don’t buy boxes anymore, they save up and buy cases. This confirmed what I already perceived, but wanted to make sure. They’re behind the 8-ball on most all ammo. I even asked if they had a factory outlet that I could drive to. Of course, the answer was no. I, too, have had to cut way back on shooting, so I may not get 400-500 rounds out of that gun before it goes out of warranty. Hopefully the ammo market will loosen up soon.

Bill,
I too modified my mags with epoxy and shims. Problem was the recoil broke the epoxy adhesion and before I new it, the shims came off. It definitely helped before they rattled off. So, I then got tiny machine screws, drilled a tiny hole through the magazine guide lip, (the strip of metal on the front of the magazine that fits in the groove in the magazine well.), cut the machine screw down so it barely went through the other side of the magazine, installed the screw with epoxy, then ground the head of the screw down with a dremel to where I got a snug fit. Talk about something that won’t rattle loose and places the mag into the well so that each round feeds exactly where it should go. In theory you would think that the design of the gun would have taken into account the fact that not all magazines fit the same. It would be interesting to know if the military and soliders had to “rig” some things like this also.

I’ve also read that getting the feedramp polished can help.

Bill

Neat idea Pete about the mag mod with tiny screws. I’ll diffinatly give it a try if my shims pop off.
I’m in the same situation with ammo . . wating on 700 rds from two different vendors . . not cheap either. Won’t be here until mid June at best. I’ve got about 200 rounds for reload if I need to but would rather save it for “emergency situations”.

Pete

I’ve got a question. What should the length be of the sling for the M1 carbine, (from tip to tip uninstalled). I got mine from Cheaper Than Dirt and it’s installed correctly, but it sure is a tight fit when I try and shoulder it. I can only use it when I’m in light clothing. I can’t even use it when I’m wearing a coat. Were there different lengths for summer/winter clothing?

W L Farmer

I have a Kahr M1 carbine and I like it a lot, with that said I ordered a red dot sight for it. I have to remove the rear sight that is dove tailed and I don’t have a clue at this point. I am not a Gun Smith and I have the most common tools. I need some instruction on how to proceed.

Thanks for your help.

Bill

Dorris S. Stone

I received a new, plain ordinary M1 Carbine yesterday I ordered over the internet from The Exchange. I am totally disappointed. It does not look like a quality made firearm. It does not appear to have been made with quality metals. It looks like a Chinese copycat. It does not have the quality apperance of the WWII era made rifles. After thorough inspection I can honestly say I paid about $295.00 too much. This is a new rifle but the used M1 Carbines I have are much better in quality and apperance, other than looking used. I ordered a new rifle and received a new rifle and am stuck with what I got. I will not buy another that I cannot see, hold and inspect before purchase. Just call me “Sucker”.

Julio

Dorris – Was this an Auto Ordinance one? Seems odd if so.

Ammunition is scarce. Grab it when you find it.

The only 30 Carbine I’ve been finding lately is the UMC stuff. Found another 400 rounds recently and picked it up. .223 is gone as fast as it comes in.

There is no recession in the firearms business right now. Folks are nervous and they have good reason to be so.

Dave

I bought AOM130 in late Feb. Always loved and wanted an M1 Carbine and figured since I wasn’t interested in collectabillity and just wanted a shooter, I’d buy new. So far this has been a big mistake.
The rifle looks nice, but the front sights are a tilted a little left. But that’s not the big problem. Headspace. The spent rounds are coming out with the primers competely destroyed so I got a hold of a couple of ‘go’ and ‘no-go’ gauges and discovered the headspace problem. This wouldn’t bother as much as it does but this company has done NOTHING about it. I can’t get thru to anyone on the phone. I’ve sent 3 emails and filled out 2 of their online forms to get the forms to return it to them and nothing…not one single response almost a month later.
Honestly what is this company’s problem? I’ve purchased a rifle that’s seriously flawed and possibly dangerous to the shooter and they ignore any attempt to get in touch with them. At this point I don’t think I can trust them enough to fix it and will probably try to find a gunsmith who answers the phone. Auto-Ordnance isn’t going to stay in business long if this is a typical example of ‘quality’ control and costumer service.
I really wished I’d bought from CMP.

Dorris S. Stone

“is overpriced by at least $200 even to compete with the Mini-14”. Such a comparison would be like a Timex compared to a Rolex. Yes the AO Carbine is that bad in all aspects of comparison. And the Mini-14 is that damed good. So is the Mini-30 even with the 6.72X39.

Will Bill: “Wild” says it all. I’ve owned 2 AOM 130s. One bought used and the other factory new. Both were mistakes. They were never able to be made into decent time after time shooters. Quality was way below par of 60+ year old CMP rifles. I’ve got one CMP now and have owned 3 others. I was greatly disappointed with AO Firearms. New price I paid for my AOM 130 was $575.00 plus S&H, no tax, much less than yours. You were really ripped. CMP rifles are first and formost collectors. They are not NIB rifles. But if you buy the best CMP grade offered they will be as good as or better than many comparable civilian rifles. That has been proven many thousands of times in as many sanctioned matches around the world. You can’t refute that.
Yes FFL types are buying CMP weapons and raising the price. That is illegal and unethical. They know they agree not to do that when they apply for their right to purchase authentic military weapons. I wish all of them could be prosecuted for their activities. I have sold CMP rifles but not a one to a stranger for profit. Only to friends and relatives that deserve to own one by virtue of military service and then only if the weapon is to be kept for heirs. I gave a garand and a carbine to my son who has had 6 combat tours in the airborne and green berets. I have a 45 ordered that is for him. He deserves to own an authentic collectable military weapon that is a part of history.
By the way, with 31+ years in military service to my country and service alongside all branches of US military and with many other countries’ military services I never came across a “Marine Paratrooper”. You meant to say, A Marine that was jump qualified, right? (Semper FI, Devil Dogs)

Sorry Julio about taking so long to answer. I don’t usually receive comments and haven’t been on for a long time.

Yes it was an AO rifle. I was totally disappointed with Kahr Arms and dissatisfied with the rifle. If you remember the Mattel toy of the sixties you will know how I fell about the rifle.

Never again will I purchase a Kahr Arms item unless I can hold it, inspect it and be satisfied with at least the cosmetic appearance, the quality of its materiels and the feel of the item. And I will not again look at an AOM 130 for purchase. I can buy metals and machine a very ugly, crude rifle of which I would be more pleased with.The AOM 130 just does not feel like a a copy of a real military 30 Cal. Carbine should feel.

The brand new AOM 130 metals looked like reworked or sub-standard metals. The forearm was very soft on the left side and it flexed and squeaked when rifle was held to shoot. The wood had a feel of thin white pine panelling. Thin, so as to be inexpensive to make. (like Chinese)

Ammo. I have inside track to all types of ammo. I will be one of the last to have an ammo procrument problem.

Dorris S. Stone

TO: Ericon 21 Apr 2008 at 7:54 pm link comment

Yes firearms producers are in business to get the most for their products. And they have to have their price up their with all the others to appear to be as good as the others.
However, from first hand experience, I know Kahr Arms is overpricing the AOM-130 Carbine. It certainly does not come close in quality to any Ruger product I’ve ever owned . But people fall for the sales pitches. I did and was completely surprised and dissapointed. Kahr Arms may very well make a lot of other quality products but the AOM-130 I got is not one.
Ruger charges “more” for the Mini-14, and Mini-30, and they should. They are worth more, they will last longer,. they will retain their value better, their quality performance will last longer.
An old M1 Carbine is not to be confused with new production. Old M1 Carbines are collectors pieces not new offerings. However, many are over 60+ years old and can out perform many new weapons. Old M1 Carbines from CMP are authentic military weapons many of which have seen combat. That is their appeal and rightfully so. They were never meant to compete with newly manufactured items but many can. Warranties are not expected of collectibles. And worn out parts of collectibles can be replaced if it is necessary to make the item a for fun shooter. It’s not about the price but I don’t expect you to understand that.

Dorris S. Stone

Per Julio, “Overall, the nostalgia value of the gun is great” There is no nostalgia with a brand new terrible knock off. Nostalgia would come from owning a real M1 Carbine. One that was experienced in combat.

I am glad you and your son enjoy your firearm. That’s what it is all about, having fun.

I had two very bad experiences with the AOM-130 by Kahr. Their weapon does not come close to the real thing. Having owned a truck load of all sorts of firearms, civilian and military, in my life of 62+ years I must say the AOM-130 was one of my worst experiences. If I really wanted a “firearm” that fails to feed and jams a lot, I don’t need to pay as much as the AOM-130 cost.

I will leave it at this: there can be lots of lemons in all products.

Dorris S. Stone

PETE The rifles the soldiers received were “real” M1 Carbines not knock offs. They were much better made, stronger, more durable and less likely to malfunction because of their quality and craftsmanship.

Julio

Wow. I’m somewhat surprised to hear that. I’ll continue to push rounds down range with the AO130 and see, but I haven’t had anywhere near the issues you folks seem to be having. After what I’d call a “sufficient” break in number of rounds, it seems to feed and function pretty well.

I’m not going to say that I believe it to be as reliable as any of my Bushmaster or Ruger rifles, but I don’t see it as junk either.

The mini 14 and mini 30 are better rifles but accuracy has been a gripe point with the Mini 14 and they are both different calibers so apples and oranges there…, but I bought the AO130 because it’s a reproduction of the m1 carbine, not because I needed another mil spec or a sub 1/2″ MOA rifle at 100 yds.

It’s not a perfect reproduction, but it is a reproduction nonetheless and I wouldn’t call it a “terrible knock off”. At what I spent, I certainly could have obtained a CMP M1 Carbine.

All of the top covers of any and all of the M1 Carbine’s I’ve looked at and held seem to be flimsy, very light wood paneling. I’ve not held one, ever, that I could say was a heavy, solid piece of wood.

There can be lemons, indeed, with all sorts of products. Customer service dictates the quality of the product and I hope these guys aren’t letting you down. The measure of any company is when you have a problem with their product that they need to help you resolve.

Indications from around the web don’t seem to indicate a really huge, widespread problem of this firearm being a pure dud. Certainly mine isn’t that way.

Again, this isn’t the first or only rifle one should buy or own. There are far better and newer, more vastly improved mechanisms and rifles out there. A defensive, battle rifle, the AO130 is not intended to be.

Armando Albovias

I just bought an AOM140 carbine from my local gun club. I thought I will have a piece of history in my possesion. What a sucker I am. The rifle came with one 10 rd magazine that did not work and I still have not the chance to fire a single ammo from it. I have emailed Kahr and so far no reply to my problem. After examining the rifle closely I realized it was a cheap piece of junk. I feel so pathetic for having bought it. I guess I should not have the feeling of nostalgia overcome me. I hope somebody would come along to help me solve the problem.

Damon

I bought an AOM 160 last NOV. Due to some travel for work I was only able to shoot it today (yep most of my warrnty is gone,)and was VERY disappointed in my purchase. I really hope the break-in period thing is true other wise I have one hell of a lemon. The factory mag was worthless. I had 2 other “proven” korean mags and the difference in feel when loading was amazing. The factory mag was very soft, and failed to feed from the start. Sadly that was only the start of my issues. I never got more than 3 round to load in a row all day. I had double feeds, stove piping, dry fires because it failed to feed anything into the chamber, and a few dry fires on a open bolt that failed to close all the way with a round in the chamber (it did not go off thank God!) It took me over an hour to work 50 rounds throuh this thing due to the constant failures and this of course was while using different mags in case that was the issue.
I was using S&B ammo (never used it before, any thoughts?) I will try again tomorrow with american egale and some magtech.

Any ideas??????

Damon

PS
I have email Kahr I will let you know how that goes, but sounds like I better not hold my breath….I may pass out.

Damon

Also is the metal heat sheild supposed to rattle a bit? mine fits a little loose but I have never been that worried as I planned to put a utlimak mount there.

Damon

better but not perfect. I took it out again and it fired much better after 100 rounds. Also I found holding the magazine with slight back pressure gets rid of the mag shake, and seemed to improve function. I still had a few failures to lock the bolt with dry fires.

Armando

Damon

Hope you don’t mind telling me where you bought your Korean made mags. I really need one badly and hopefully they have 10 rds mag for I live in CA.The “tree hugging” socialists in CA don’t allow any magazine beyond 10 rds. Thanks in advance

Damon

I bought these at CDNN sports and cheaper than dirt . Not sure about the 10 round thing but best of luck.

danny

To Cris of Philippines,
I have read your comments to your M1A1…if you wanna replace your paratrooper folding butt… i intent to buy it.. i want that folding stock to my M2

Bob

I bought an AO M1 new in 2006, never had a problem with it and paid under $600 for it. I bought some surplus 15 round mags, some work fine and some did not. The mag that came with the gun has never mis fed a round. I have a new production 30 round mag that works great. Sounds like AO has gone down hill since I got mine. I feel lucky now.

Rick

I really like the looks of them, Just wish the werent so darn expensive, this is not a serious hunting firearm so its impractical for me to invest the sugested price. Sorry

It’s a cute little carbine, and fun, but I fail to see the appeal. I still plan to get a CMP gun at some point, but either way:

Scarce ammo–pretty much the only gun that fires it, apart from a couple of even scarcer pistols and revolvers.

Anemic. It’s a glorified pistol as far as power, only bulkier.

Expensive. The price seems fair for the workmanship on the new ones, but not for what you’re actually getting as far as utility.

Parts. Very limited market.

I got mine horse trading, so I’m happy. $500+ for a rack grade from CMP seems a bit much, though they might appreciate. And the US surp ones are $$$$$$ and increasing.

Terry De Pew

OK.
Some have no trouble, others believe they picked up a turd. What I’m trying to do is figure out why my nearly-new Auto Ordinance M1 Carbine will not fire more than 5 rounds without having real malfunctions (I think I know why it is “nearly” new).
The sequence of events is thus: there is a failure to feed, failure to extract / eject (usually an unfired cartridge). Even with loading the magazine with only 5 rounds, number 5 is usually a no-go.
I am a retired Army reserve armorer with 15 years in that business, and am employing my knowledge & experience, but obviously this weapon is not what I’m accustomed to troubleshooting.
I have not had the opportunity to take “Bambi” to the range to check the performance with the upgraded springs I’ve installed. And I have thoroughly cleaned and checked the magazines I have picked up since buying the rifle (I have a notion that the after-market mags I have are kinda’ cheesy).
I own one of AO’s “fake” Tommy guns and I love the thing. never had a problem. (That 10-RD drum is garbage, though.)
I guess I got one that was built on Monday or Friday, know what I mean? The QC guys slid one out.
Anybody had any luck skulling out sim’ler problems?

I sent 3 e-mails to the service folks, and pretty much got the party line – no, THIS rifle was never sent in for repair / service by original owner, never heard of any complaints from anybody, etc………………..

I own a used firearm. I will attempt to make it work only to the extent my personal experience (US Army Res Armorer) will take me, and then I may hound them to make thier product perform as God and the US Government intended it to.

It seems to me, that if there are enough tales of woe about this out there, and if the COMPLAINTANTS could get it together and organize a bit, maybe Kahr / Auto Ordinance will take notice and offer to do the right thing, do a recall, and fix this.

If it’s used, it’s hard to tell if it’s a defect, or if the previous owner tinkered with it. A recall only happens if a significant number of people have similar problems. That doesn’t seem to be the case.

I just built two from parts, including barrel fitting and headspacing. What you’re describing is a very odd combination of problems. Have you tried a different magazine? That it does it at the same spot would indicate either that magazine, or that the feed mechanism doesn’t like that particular spring tension on the magazine. Except that you say it happens on the fifth round regardless of tension (different number of rounds), which makes no sense at all. The gun can’t count. Nor should it have three different problems at that point.

The only common point I could visualize is the recoil spring or guide, or something very close in tolerance and heat is causing it to expand and seize.

I would suggest your only real recourse is a detailed letter explaining the problem, send it in, and have them fix it. If it is a factory defect, they’re a reputable company and won’t charge you. If the previous owner tinkered with it, you’d wind up paying anyway.

Rose

Hello,
my father purchased an A.O. m-1 carbine as a gift for me a few weeks ago, new, and it arrived 4 days ago.
After a thorough (field-strip) cleaning, I took it to the range and tried firing three rounds with the provided 10-round magazine. The first round appeared to chamber, but didn’t fire. I removed the magazine and with some considerable effort, managed to eject the round. I replaced mag., the second round failed to eject and the third round failed to feed automatically. The provided magazine was difficult to make “stay” in the rifle.

I took it home, field-stripped/cleaned/lubed, and today went to fire four more rounds from a 30-round magazine I purchased at a gun show. This magazine appears to fit correctly.
The first round failed to fire, I managed to eject it, the second round fired but didn’t eject, the third round fired, but didn’t eject, and the fourth round didn’t feed immediately.
The first set of rounds were Aguila and the second set were Federal.

Dad is 82 and has been wanting a .30 carbine for years, as it was one of his training rifles in the military. He thought a new one would be great. He paid $700 for this thing and I’m pretty steamed. Will be calling Auto Ordnance in the morning to discuss repairs.

WELL THANK YOU FOR POSTING, THIS COMMING WEEKEND FEB 27,28 I WAS GOING TO A GUN SHOW SET ON BUYING A — AO CARBINE. I HAVE THREE MILITARY CARBINES NOW BUT WOULD LIKE ONE TO SHOOT A LOT. I’VE GOT PLENTY OF AMMO BUT JUST DONT WANT TO SHOOT THE OLD ONES TOO MUCH,—BUT—THE WAY MOST OF YOU SOUND ITS NOT A GOOD IDEA. I PROBABLY WONT BUY BUT I’LL BE CHECKING THEM OUT FOR THE ISSUES YOU HAD…THANKS PETE

Terry De Pew

Good news, everybody!

I think I was right about the problems with My AO carbine.

I last used GI magazines I had obtained. I took the thing to the range, and the rifle’s attitude definitely took a turn for the better!

I started out with a few feed problems, but mostly they went away after about 20 rounds down the tube.

I loaded a magazine with different brands of ammo, randomly, and in a 15 rd magazine, and only had 1 misfeed. after that, no problem.

And it is quite the shooter. I did not have the target more than 25 yds away, but with not the best light, the less than stellar sights, and ancient eyballs, I was rather impressed.

Did I mention that I replaced the operating spring with a Wolff?

Hope springs eternal. Enjoy!

Michael

I purchased an Auto Ordinance M1 six weeks ago. I just got the opportunity to take it to the range 4 days ago. After calling tech support from the range(it took 20 minutes to get through), I was told to return the stock mag for a swap out. Luckily, I had purchased a 30 round after market mag for $20 at the time of purchase. The gun fed and fired near flawlessly with the after market mag. The mag Auto Ord provided is garbage. Buying a good after market magazine did solve my problems. The M1 was dead on for accuracy at 100 yards. There is no excuse for a supposes reputable company to charge over $700, and provide the customer with a garbage magazine.

3. expect a “wear in” period. it took mine about 300+ rounds to start working well.

marty

Yea, same thing with my AO m1a1 carbine. First 50rds had 12 feed and ejection malfunctions, even with two other aftermarket mags.

Stopped having problems after about 150 rds, put 400 rds through it so far. Tried every brand of ammo i can find; Sellier Belliot; Prvi Partizan; Remington; Aguila, so far so good.

Despite the “Hard break in” I’m very satisfied and happy with the rifle.

Tom

Hi Guys,

I purchased an Auto Ordnance M1 carbine for my son. We also had problems with feeding. I disassemble the auto ordnance carbine and compared it to an Inland production carbine and think that I found the glitch.

If you remove the trigger group and turn the receiver upside down and look at the forward portion below the barrel you will notice a lip that stops the magazine upward movement when it is inserted in to the weapon. This lip or ridge protrudes further down towards the bottom of the receiver that the original Inland production carbine.

I took the Auto Ordnance Carbine to a gun smith and he confirmed my observations and milled the Auto Ordnance Carbine to match the Inland production carbine. The results are amazing as this seems to have corrected the feeding issue and the rifle shoots great.

I purchased this carbine for many of the same reasons that you all have stated. Primarily because I wanted a rifle that had not been through three wars and been to hell and back in the process. I would also recommend purchasing the new production Korean manufactured magazines as they seem to work just fine.

Our Auto Ordnance Carbine came with the older style flip type rear sight and early type barrel band along with a Birch stock. I replaced the rear sight with the later model sliding ramp style and also the barrel band with one that has a bayonet lug. There is an article on the CMP web sight that provides advice for accurate shooting for the carbine and both of these changes are recommended. I have also ordered a walnut stock for this carbine and will install it as soon as I can.

My son loves shooting his carbine and we shoot together in Garand matches as the range is limited to 200 yards. However; considering the cost of the carbine one would think that that the manufacture would be conscientious enough to ensure that the product being shipped did not require ANY ADDITIONAL MACHINE WORK to ensure proper function as advertised.

I hope that this helps

Thanks,

Tom

Jordan

I purchased an Auto-Ordnance carbine for my self last year at $900. The first time I took it to the range it jammed on the first round. I tried a different mag with three different brands of 30 carbine ammo didn’t matter sometimes it never even fired. And when you pulled on the operating rod to eject the round it wouldn’t. So I took it back to the gun shop I bought it from, they tried it out with their mags and their own ammo. Didn’t matter, it jammed so badly a round got caught in the rifling in the barrel. Now this a firearm I just took out of a brand new case and I felt like a dummy for even buying it. The gun shop I purchased it from had problems with all the ones they ordered in and they can’t seem to get a hold of Kahr arms. To me a firearms maker having this many problems shouldn’t be in business. Hell I could have bought an AR, or original 30 Carbine, and maybe even the great Grand rifle. And most likely with proper care would have function flawlessly. Anybody with good information of how to fix this problem I would be grateful Hell I’m still waiting for it to get taken care of and that was three months ago.

Craig

Purchased 2 of the new A/O M-1 Carbines for our dept recently. Short version is- have had nothing but problems with one, and minor glitches with the other which remain unresolved by the mfg. Learned our lesson the hard way guys. Take care and stay safe. Sgt. L.P.

Nathaniel

After reading all the comments and scouring the Internet for info, I think I’m seeing a trend: the AOs that come with the 15 round mags work fine, while the ones that come with 10 round mags appear to hardly work at all.

I’ve done a little research, and I’ve concluded that Auto Ordnance’s quality of product is “off-and-on.” Every couple of years, a batch of their 1911s, Thompsons, and Carbines turns sour, then improves just enough to lure customers back.
Personally, I bought a WW2 surplus Winchester M1 carbine, and have found it completely satisfactory. It works with all types of ammo, and a few months ago, my friend’s 90 year old father joined me at the range and got to fire an M1 carbine for the first time in over 60 years (he got a nice group at 50 yards, too!)
My only issue is that I had originally hoped to obtain one without a bayonet lug or adjustable sights, as this is what would have been the norm in the war. If I had the time, I might get an AO copy, for the sake of having a carbine I could modify and customize without regret, but I don’t.
I know little about the firearms made by Kahr Arms, AO’s current owner, but I do know that I don’t have the paycheck to trust AO’s brand of service. Now if I decide I want a semi auto Thompson, I might swallow my pride…nah, I’d rather save up for a class 3 purchase; less of a headache.

lucky

i have had my m1 sent back to kahr arms twice. truly a piece of junk. i tried to sell it last week. was only offered half of what i paid for it. metal is crap. there were gas holes in the slide. now after doing research on kahr i find they are owned by the moonies. so this gun probbaly was made in china or had parts made in china. anyways the gun retailers are onto how bad these guns are so i am stuck with a 700 dollar paper weight. shame on me. should have paid attention to my history books. even james gavin pioneer of the 82 airborne got rid of his M1 carbine after his first combat jump in Sicily. they were jamming bad back then.. ill stick with my AK from now on.

mike

Just picked up a AOM130.Has anyone had trouble putting a sling on?

mike

I went to the range this weekend and sent some rounds up-range.I used the mag that came with the rifle and i fired 15 rounds without trouble.I also used two different surplus mags and had both feed and ejection issues.I fired Remington ammo.Also i cannot install a surplus M1 sling as it is too thick for the cutout.I payed 900 for this rifle and it is not worth it.

Iman Azol

mike: aftermarket Carbine mags are notorious for being crap. You say the factory mag worked fine. You’ll need to get more of those, or real GI mags.

Remington ammo is generally prone to more issues than other brands.

The sling on my GI carbine is a VERY snug fit, and had to be forced in. That’s not uncommon.

mike

Do you have a cotton sling or nylon?Also thanks for the heads up on the Remington ammo.

Iman Azol

GI canvas sling. The oil bottle barely fit, too.

This was on stocks stamped for Winchester, Inland, and someone else.

John Winton

Just to let you guys know, I bought my AO160 anyways! Glad I did, I love it. I did have FTF issues. The problem isn’t ammo, it’s non-spec spring tensioning in the magazines. Mine was so stiff it actually kicked the mag loose when trying to chamber a round! I realized what was going on and started loading seven in instead of 10 and bingo!! Not a single FTF three hundred rounds and counting thereafter. I tired lubing the little booger, no difference. I bet the GI ones are OK. I will try that soon and post. Also, some aftermarket Cheaper Than Dirt ones arrived since; I will test those but the quality is suspect…

Nate

Got the AOM130 model back in spring of 09. paid around $800 for it. when i finally got to shoot it months later the bolt failed to fully lock. I have to use the “forward assist” every time in order for the bolt to lock and even if it does fire I’m lucky if it cycles more than one round. I decided to investigate on the web to see who else had problems. after reading a good handful of reviews from others who had an issue with the rifle and the customer service I decided to let it go, considering that as a student, and a soldier in the guard I have not the time nor the motivation to keep calling customer service between homework, working out, and most of my weekends being taken away as it is. But as an Army small arms repairman, I plan on looking up some old manuals and talking to old friends to see if I can fix the problem myself.

Iman Azol

Nate: Check headspace and the barrel skirt, and make sure the operating spring is clear. I had to tweak that on an old Plainfield.

Otherwise, just call and get a return number, send it to them and they’ll send it back. They’re usually pretty good about working with service people.

Tuan Nguyen

I’m sorry so many people have had problems with the Auto Ordnance M1 Carbine. I’m one of the few that are happy with mine. The first trip to the range, it jammed every other time. The bolt wouldn’t go forward into battery. After taking it apart, cleaning and oiling it, it works fine. I got 5 30 round mags, and at first, it was so tight, it was exhausting inserting them into the gun. After a few times, the magazines fit in easily now. This is a brand new gun, and it’s tight and rough and needs to be cleaned, oiled, and broken in. For all the people complaining that this is not an original, “collector” gun, guys, if you want to get wealthy off of your “original”, “collector” m1 carbine, you shouldn’t be shooting them. I buy guns to shoot them, not to look at them.

Tom

My buddy recently bought a new auto ordinance carbine with folding stock.
I was afraid he would have problems with it after reading so many negative reports on this rifle. Fortunately, after two trips to the range he has not had a single malfunction after firing approx. 150-200 rounds which consisted of half factory hard ball and half reloads ( 110 grain rem soft points and H110). I have a GI Winchester carbine so was able to compare the two rifles while taking turns shooting. I noticed that the auto ordinance supplied 15 round magazine does not click in the mag well very tight. The new Korean made 15 round magazine and GI 15 and 30 rounders that I had fit with a more noticeable click when they were seated. I noticed the action on the auto ordinance was not as smooth as the Winchester which added to my initial fear that the rifle was going to malfunction. Before heading to the range, I took the rifle apart or tried to. I was unable to get the operating handle off the barrel so was not able to get the bolt out. The rifle was cleaned and lubricated and put back together. I noticed that the metal upper hand guard and barrel band that holds everything together are lame to say the least. The barrel band appears to be thin stamped metal. The Winchester has a solid piece of steel which includes the bayonet lug. The auto ordinance has a flip L sight which is not easily adjustable other than the two distance settings. I have a fully adjustable sight on the Winchester. To remove or adjust the rear sight on the AO it is recommended that a sight pusher (approx. $100) be used. The auto ordinance shot several inches to the right for me at a mere 50 yards but grouped ok. In MHO, the GI carbines are built better than the newly manufactured ones by auto ordinance. My buddy likes his but probably wouldn’t have if it jammed right out of the box.

Dale Fickel

To Dale from Dale Hi guy. I have the Khar M-1 carbine. I had for several month’s until I found a place I could shoot it. But I read a lot review’s buy people with nothing good to say about it. I had a great time with mine. Before I shot it. I oiled it very well because parkerized metal need’s oiled. I’m the 4th son of a WW2 Iwo Jima vet (4th Marine Div.23rd Reg.) I cycled ammo thru it a few times & reoiled. To help break it in. I got the walnut stock. Dad really liked it alot. I put the bayonet lug on it. He said his didn’t have that on his. But not all of us had a bad time with our rifle’s. Sorry you had such a bad time. I also have the ATI AT-47. Like it to. I’ve shot it a lot to. I myself was in the US Army & Law Enforcement in the 1970’s. Owned many gun’s & reloaded alot. Keep shooting & keep shouting out the truth. Thank’s DRF.

I purchased an AO M-1 Carbine in 2006. I have never had a problem with the gun. I did purchase a dozen GI mags at a gun show and a few had feed problems. I installed a bayonett lug barrel band and changed the flip sight to an adjustable one. I have about a thousand rounds through it and it functions great. I now reload my ammo and could not be happier with my gun. I guess they have gone up a bit since 2006, i paid $579.00 for mine new at Impact Guns.com.

Michael J. Bushey

I saw this gun advertised here in Maine. I gather from these posts no one would buy it. I have always wanted an M-! carbine not for collecting but for shooting.

Hello shooters,
I got resently got an AO in trade right at $400. The guy I got it from stated all the issues I’ve read here. Good luck with that thing he said. When I got it home I went to work, filling every part of the action with cheap tooth paste pepsodent $.88 at wally world. I then worked the action manually about 300 times. A good cleaning some 2000 grit on the feed ramp and chamber throat. An other good cleaning then CLP this little bugger shoots great. I’ve got about 5 hours into it doing what the factory should have. You can’t make parts to spec then perk them and expect fit and function. I hope this helps have fun stay safe shooters.

Al

I got mine Auto Ordnance M1 three years ago. FTF and jams galore with a variety of magazines; about the only magazine that 1/2 worked was the AO one. When it did not jam, the bolt would not close completely, so I had to “forward assist” just to be safe. After 300 rounds break-in, FTFs continued, but the action became very smooth, and no forward assist was needed once the around made its way into the chamber. Then I borrowed a vintage WWII carbine from a friend for a comparison. I noticed that the ramps were cut deeper on the vintage example. Having lost all patience, I took a Dremel with a chain-saw sharpening grinding wheel and cut the ramps to approximate the vintage specimen. I know, I know, this was a careless and irreversible operation. But… it fixed it! Please do not try this at home. I guess the lesson is that indeed it appears that AO is doing something wrong. Incidentally, perhaps the high ramps is the reason why AO says not to use USGI magazines.

We sell guns and that is the first question I ask the tech department at the companies from which we buy.

I don’t know which parts are mil spec and which aren’t – but, I don’t give a damn. I just got a generic “No” from the company.

If a company can’t bother to make an authentic copy of a classic GI gun, then it shouldn’t be made; especially one which basically works fine.

This goes for many of the new 1911’s. Improvements my ass. The gun was made to work under combat conditions. Beavertail safeties, extended this and that – — Now, if you are a competition shooter, that is another story, etc….

It’s good that they’re honest, and “milspec” can be complicated. Are they using the same heat treat method and finish chemistry? Exact alloys? It’s entirely possible to be using better materials, 60 years later.

Now, are the parts not milled to the same dimensions? That becomes critical for any repair or replacement.

If you want a WWII version, go get one! This is a nice reproduction of recent vintage that shoots well and functions nicely.

stephen ladabauche

Notes on my M1 carbine from Auto Ordnance. Got a few weeks ago brand newin box from factory. A few issues, bad magazine seating resulting in FTF, however I sent it back and it seems to be fine now, haven’t been to the range yet but was assured by repairman it was functioning fine. Now the big problem. When I got it it had a very crooked barrel band. I frankly don’t know how it made it past any kind of even cursive inspection. When I sent it back for the other issues I asked that this be straightened out too. Imagine my surprise when I got a call a week later from the repairman who informed me that they couldn’t fix the crooked barrel band!! This is the factory after all and I was incredulous at what I was hearing. They sent it back to me and I couldn’t believe my eyes, not only didn’t they fix it, they made it worse, much worse….not only is the barrel band more crooked and not locking into the spring latch but the wood in front of the band looks like someone took a jackknife to it (i wish i could post pictures, its really astounding) It also looks like they tried to cover it up by refinishing that part of the wood leaving a large white blotch and stains over the already butchered wood. I still can’t believe what I’m seeing. I hope they find a way to make this right because for what I paid considering their reputation this is totally unacceptable.

PS I have one of their Tommy Gun reproductions and also one of their 1911 copies and love them both. Flawless and fun to shoot. I can’t guess what happened to this one

Isaac

I just bought one from Big 5 for 780 bucks.

I have so far been less than impressed with the rifle, but I have to admit it “cleans up nice”.

I have yet to shoot it, but I have extensively function tested it.

Aftermarket mags are trash. WWII mags are good. Factory mag is fine.

Trigger is rather crisp and predictable, which surprised me. Classic military staging pull is very applicable.

The quality of the handguard is *meh* and the feed ramp leaves something to be desired.

The action initially gave me trouble (FTF, not ramming to full battery). However, some good old FROG LUBE CLP and some Tender Love and Care got that fixed in 1 hour of tedious scrubbing and working the action over and over again.

I will go out to shoot it tomorrow and actually have pretty decent expectations. It is functioning beautifully thus far.

I have extensive experience with VMSARs. I am an avid Garand shooter, and have shot M1 Carbines (originals) before, and Auto Ordnance came pretty close if you ask me.

Any rifle will function if you give it the attention it needs. Some need more than others. Mine required about 2 hours of my time. My COLT AR needed more attention.

Isaac

Follow Up on previous post:

Took it to range today. Sent 50 rounds of Winchester 110gr FMJ down it. No flaws whatsoever.

At 25 yards offhand standing: quarter-sized group of 5
At 50 yards offhand standing: 3″ group of 5.
At 50 yards supported prone: 1″ group (in the 10 ring) of 5.

I am not sure what the ballistics are on a .30 carbine, but I expect a hand-sized group at 200 yards from supported prone would not be too much to ask for this nice little rifle.

The action cycled flawlessly. Not a single time did I have to “forward assist”. It extracts very aggressively…I might tune that down a bit, as the cases seem to “smack” the receiver on their way out really hard. (My 1911 did the same thing at first, I have since remedied it).

In sum: AWESOME little gun. Super fun and easy to shoot. A quarter of the recoil of my Garand. Similar to an AR-15’s recoil.

TO DO: Replace flip sight with Auto’s peephole adjustable sight. Drifting for windage on the current sight sucks.

Bear

I wish I had read all these comments BEFORE I purchased this very large Paper Weight. Right out of the Box it had multiple problems that it could not have passes a firing test at the factory. OK, the feed ramp was not even finished and had to do an extensive throat job. Bolt sticks, extractor works less than one out of eight times, it jams every two or three shots. with several different mags, several different types of ammo, this gun is a LEMON. It looks great, pretty stock, but it doesn’t WORK and I believe that is lets see THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF A FIREARM… It freaked me out because I almost gave it to my daughter who lives in a Big City for home protection untested by me–ALMOST,,,,thank God I did Not.

Dave

Bear,
Despite the warnings I too picked one of these up. In Canada they only come with a 5 round magazine and I got it for $900 with the tax. Took it to the range and had fail to ejects in first couple of mags then it ran fine for the next 75 or so rounds….except the upper hand guard came off. Looks like this was an issue with WWII guns too as they changed the barrel band twice. I did some filing, made the sling swivel narrower so the band is tighter so we’ll see. I have some after market 30/5 round mags and they seem to fit fine and have the bolt hold open feature. It sure is fun to shoot though! I also have the Chiappa / Citadel .22 M1 carbine and it runs fine with round nose but doesn’t like hollow points.

Little Lady Shooter

I just purchased the AO 30 M1 and I have to say I have not had one of the issues mentioned in this blog. I looooove this weopon. Super fun! I am a novice shooter and I was able to hit a cantaloupe dead center at 200 yards with the factory sights. I do not believe that you are ever going to be able to purchase a military grade weapon right off the shelf. If you are interested in a rifle that shoots 3/4 or 1/2 MOA you are going to have to build it yourself ( and you definitely are not going to find it at Big 5 ). I wish everyone had the experience that I did with this weapon. I got 2 15 round clips and my only complaint is that the ammo isn’t that cheap (it’s not .375 ruger expensive, but it’s not 22LR cheap), and you can really run through it with this weapon!